These Red Velvet Heart Surprise Cupcakes are FUN! Slice into them and you'll have a red velvet heart in the center. These are topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting!

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These were so fun to put together. I failed…SO HARD the first time I made these. A few of you might’ve seen it on Instagram. But the first, first time I tried to make them was actually a few years ago.

I bought this heartbreak cookie cutter in hopes of making “heartbreak surprise cupcakes.” BUT OMG that did not work at all. Now I realize the biggest problem that I kept encountering was that the cookie cutter needed to be the perfect size.

I finally figured it out and went to Michael’s and picked up this heart-shaped cookie cutter that's about 1-inch big. It was only, like, a dollar and I believe now it’s on serious sale because Valentine’s Day is next week and Michael’s is already moving onto Easter/4th of July and most likely Halloween. They move quickly!

I will be very forthright and say that this recipe takes a bit of time. You basically make a 8-inch red velvet single layer cake. After it bakes, you punch out the hearts.

This layer can easily be made the night before and you can wrap it tightly and keep it in the fridge. And then the white batter is made. The hearts are placed right in the center of the cake batter. NOW, I know what you’re thinking: Doesn’t the center over bake? The answer is an astounding no.These cupcakes were super delicious and moist.

How to Make Heart-Surprise Cupcakes

Whisk the dry ingredients.
Using your stand-up mixer, beat the butter and sugar.
Crack in the eggs.
Next grab the bowl full of the dry ingredients.
Alternate between the dry ingredients and buttermilk.
Add the food coloring and mix it one last time. As a result, you'll end up with that iconic red velvet color.
Transfer the red velvet batter to your 9-inch cake pan.
Bake it. And then allow it cool.

How to Finish the Cupcakes

Stamp out small hearts and set them aside.
Meanwhile, make the batter for the cupcakes. They're similar to the batter above.
Nestle the cake hearts into the center, making sure they go in the same direction. And then bake them.
Allow them to cool completely and then make the cream cheese frosting.

How to Make Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat together the cream cheese and butter FIRST. As a result, you'll end up with super smooth cream cheese frosting.
Sift in the powdered sugar. It's the second, very essential part, about having a very smooth frosting.
Add the vanilla and salt.
For the fluffiest cream cheese frosting, the key ingredients is heavy cream. Yes. It makes the FLUFFIEST cream cheese frosting. Beat it for a full 2 to 3 minutes.
Pipe on the frosting, or smear it! I like to add the heart sprinkle at the top, as an indicator as to where to cut the cupcake so you see the heart. As a result, you'll have that perfect surprise heart inside!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe

Red Velvet Heart-Surprise Cupcakes

Author: Adrianna Adarme

These Red Velvet Heart Surprise Cupcakes are FUN! Slice into them and you'll have a red velvet heart in the center. These are topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cupcakes, heart cupcakes, heart inside cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 45

Decorating Time: 30

Total Time: 1 45

Serving Size: 22 cupcakes

Ingredients

Heart-Inside Batter:

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
¾ cup buttermilk shaken
4 drops food coloring gel (If not using gel, you’ll most likely need about 8 drops of regular food coloring)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

White Cupcake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk (shaken)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
½ cup white granulated sugar
4 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs

Simple Cream Cheese Frosting:

½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
8 ounces cream cheese (at very room temperature)
3 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

To Make the Heart-Inside Batter:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease (with cooking spray) and line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment.
To a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
To the bowl of a stand-up mixer, with the paddle attachment (or a medium bowl with an electric mixer), add the butter and sugar; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Crack in the eggs, one at a time. Pour in the buttermilk, red food coloring and vanilla. Gradually add in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Pour the batter into the cake pan and spread the cake batter into an even layer. Transfer to the oven to bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
When cooled completely, level off the top of the cake so it’s totally flat. A serrated knife worked best. Stamp out hearts using a 1-inch heart cookie cutter (I found mine at Michael’s).

To Make the White Cupcake Batter:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Insert cupcake liners into a cupcake tin. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a measuring cup, measure out the buttermilk and whisk in the vanilla.
To the bowl of a stand-up mixer, with the paddle attachment, add the butter, sugar and honey. Cream together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Crack in the eggs and mix until combined. Add the flour in a few batches, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, until combined.
Fill each cupcake tin with two tablespoons of batter, about halfway. Nestle the cutout hearts in the center of each cupcake tin, facing them all the same way.
Transfer to the oven to bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the white cake comes out clean. Cool in the pans on the wire rack for about 5 minutes.
What’s good about these cupcakes that at this point, you can see where you need to cut in order for them to see the heart in the center.

To Make the Frosting:

To the bowl of a stand-up mixer, with the paddle attachment, add the butter and cream cheese. Beat until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix slowly until combined. Add the vanilla , pinch of salt and heavy cream; beat once more for about 1 to 2 minutes.
You’re free to decorate the cupcakes however you like. I chose to transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a round tip on the end. It’s important that you give yourself a way to know how to cut the the cupcakes so the heart inside is visible.
I chose to use a heart sprinkle as an indicator as to how to cut the cupcakes. I placed the heart sprinkles so the top of the heart sprinkle aligned with the cupcake on the inside. So all I had to do was cut above the top of the sprinkle, and I knew I would see the heart inside.

Notes

To Make Ahead:

The red velvet layer can be made ahead and stored in the fridge (wrapped in plastic wrap) for up to 3 days. You can also store it in the freezer (wrapped in plastic wrap) for up to 3 months.

You can make the frosting up to 3 days ahead. Store in the fridge.

Or you can make the frosting and store it in the freezer for up to 3 days.

Equipment and Tools:

Nutrition

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